Adjustable handgrip for crutches



Patent Feb. 20, 1923.

- JOHN B. GLOWACKI, or onroneo, ninrnors. 2

ADJUSTABLE HANDGRIP non onu'ronns.

Application :ua January 3, 1922. Serial1lTo.:5 t,617. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jorin B. GLowAoKI, a citizen of the Republic of Poland,'and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an i ldjustable l landgrip for V Orutches; and I do hereby .declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a gart of this specification.

his invention relates to hand .wood. I

a It is a further object of this invention to I provide an arrangement whereby the nuts by which the grip'is tightened will belrept in operative relation to the clamps that secure the grip to the longitudinal member of the crutch.

Other and further important objects of the invention =wil1 be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and specifica ti0n., e The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a crutch] equipped with this adjustable hand grip.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the crutch showing the hand applied thereto. I I

Figure 3 is a section through the center ofthe hand grip.

Figure 4: is a section upon the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section upon the line 5 --5 1.

of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section upon the line 6-6 of Figure3. H i v I Fi ire 7 's a View of the clampiugmeans detached fronithe crutch. a

v As shown on the drawings The crutch consists oftheusual arm rest 1, foot piece 2 and longitudinal members 3. Adjustably mounted upon the longitudinal members 3 is a hand gripe comprising a ends of these sleeves handle 5 mounted upon ashaft 6. As shown" in Figures 3 and 6, the central part of this shaft issquare in order that it may be rojtated by rotating the handle '5. 'Eachend of the shaft 6 is cylindrical andQs'ciewthreaded as shown at 7 and 8. One ofthese threads is right handed and the otherleft 'handedinorder that thesleevesQ and 10 mounted thereon shall be made to; approach one another or be driven away from one another by rotating the handle. v The outer agonal flangesll. v

The longitudinal rmeinbers 3 :areeach clasped by a clampingmember 12 which con? are provided with hex sists of. a plain part '13 and two curved ears T rved ears fit the curved surface v of the longitudinal members 3 which are of the usual half-round form. The edges of the curved earsareaISOQcurvedin order that the widest part oflthe ears shall beat the junction with the pla'in portion 13. In

the center of the plain portion 13 the clampmg member is offset. to form a hexagonal pocket 15 which is'to receive the hexagonal through which the shaft 6 passes. V

The end of the start is" cu lshaped as shown at 17 to afford an edge which shall, f give a firm bearing against the wood'of the side members 3; The opening 16 has a width at right angles to the plane ofthe 'lon itudinal members 3 suflicient' toaccommoc ate the shaft 6, but its'wi'dthin the plane of the members 3. is made greater than this in order that theremay be room for play between the shaft and the upper and lower edges of this opening. 1

The handle 4 has at eachend a recess 18 and'in these recesses are seated springs 19.

One end of these springs bears against the inner end of'the socket 1 8.f .The other end of the springs bears againstthe raised portion 15 of the clamping member 12.

head 11. The centralpo rtion 'ofithehex agonal ofiset partofythe clamping member has an aperture 16 In assembling the-device,'the" handle 5 is I first placed uponthe shaft'fi, preferably with a driving fit. Thesprings 19 are then placed inthe sockets 1 8. Then the sleevemeinbers 9- andl10 are placed through theopenings 16 in the clamping members .12, with the" hexagonal ends 11 seated in the hexagonal pockets15. The sleeves '9 and'flO with the clampingimembers 12. attached are then screwed onto the ends of theflshaft fi' until the springs 19 are compressed sufficiently to insure the heads 11 staying in the pockets 15. This Work is done before the arm rest 1 is applied to the upper end o'fthe crutch. Next, the assembled hand grip is put into the crutch with the members 12 sliding over the members 3. Then the arm rest 1 is secured members 12 apart'sufhciently' to insure that at the top of the crutch. The hand grip is slid along the members 3 until the position suitable for the patient is found, and the handle .5 is then rotated in the direction to draw theslee've's 9 toward one another. Duringthisrotation the spring 19 holds the the heads 11 will remain in the pockets 15.

As the sleeves 9 approach oneanother hand grip from moving longitudinally of,

the members 3 because the cup shape of the end 17 makes thispliessure come on a line only instead of over a surface. Thus the hand rest is effectually heldwithout the wood of the members 3 being penetrated enough to make any serious disfiguration.

When it is desired-to loosen the clamps in order to position the hand grip, at a different height, the handle 5 is turned in the opposite direction, With the result that the sleeves-9 move away from one another.

This relieves the pressure of the ears 1% upon the outer face of the longitudinal members 3 and permits said members to move away from one another. At the same time it moves the members 3 away from the ends 17 of the shaft '6 so that when the longitudinal movement of the hand grip takesplace these ends do not-scrape the Wood. 7

The springs 19, by keeping the plain face 13 of the members 12 against the plain face of the longitudinal members 3, insures that the clamping members Will follow the .curv ,ing shape of the members 3 in this motion. If the handle 5' should be rotated. too far in this. direction, the plain faces 13 would press against the longitudinal members 3 fiicien-tly to; make it difficult to turn the handle 5. Thus the patient, or Whoever is operating the device, is Warned against further rotation of the handle 5 inthis direction long before the travel of the sleeves 9 .covers the distance through which the springs l9 can expand. Consequently during th'e Whole travelthe heads 11 are dependably kept Withinthe'poc'kets 15. When the handle has been so adjusted that the clamping members are loose upon the longitudinal members 3, the grip may be moved up or .(lGWIl until the. desired height is secured. Since the longitudinal members 3 are not straight and not parallel the plain faces 18 of the clamping members 12 must tilt relative to the shaft 6 in order to seat themselves against the curved inner surfaces of the longitudinal members This tiliting movement of the clamping members 12; relative to the shaft 6 is permitted because of the play between the shaft and the upper and lower sides of the opening 16.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction maybe varied through a Wide rangewithout departing fromtheprinciples of this im vention, and I therefore do -not purpose limitingthe patent granted'otherwise than necessitated'by the prior art.

I claim as my invention;

1. Ina hand grip for crutches, a threaded shaft, a clamping member, a sleeve connect-' ing said shaft and said member, and a spring for keeping said clamping member and sleeve in operative relation.

2. In a device ofthe class described, a

clamp, a pocket integral With said clamp, a

shaft traversing said pocket, {sleeves threaded on said shaft andhaving heads engaging the alls of said pockets, and a spring. maintaining said pockets against said heads. I a

3. In a devlce of the class descr bed, a

' clamp, a pocket in said clamp the bottom of said pocket having an opening, a shaft traversing said opening, a sleeve threaded on said shaft and occupying said opening, the dimensions of said opening in one direction being greater than those of said sleeve.

4. In a crutch, a hand grip, clamps at each end of said hand grip securing it to the crutch, said clamps being pivotally mounted to tilt upon said hand grip.-

5. In a crutch, tWo Wooden supporting members each having a plane face and a rounded face, a hand rest forming a cross piece between the, plane faces of said supporting members, a rod of noncireular crosssection extending longitudinally through said hand rest, a fixture of sheetmetal hav: ing a plane surface on one side bearing against the plane surface "of one of .said

supporting members and curved surfaces ad acent to said planesurface partly enclosing the rounded face of said supporting member and forming the other side of said fixture, the edges of said curved surfaces farthest from the plane surfacebeing separated, said fixture having a socket upstand- P. mg from the plane side, a sleevenon-rotat-I ably mounted lin said socket and having threaded connectlon With said rod, andresilient means for maintaining the non-rotatable connection between said sleeve and said socket. v

6. In a crutch, two longitudinal supporting members a hand rest forming a crossconnection between said members, said hand rest comprisinga handle, a screw-threaded shaft through said handle, means mounted upon each end of said shaft for grasping said longitudinal supporting members,- and springs for holding said grasping means against said supportin members. 7

7. In a device of the class described, a

clamp, a socket integral with said clamp, a

threaded sleeve having a head, and means 15 for maintaining said head in contact with subscribed my name in the presence of two 20 subscribing witnesses. J

JOHN B. GLOWACKI.

Witnesses:

CARLTON HILL, JAMES M. OBRIEN. 

